LifeLaunchr

09/02/2026

The Common App is officially open.

If your high school senior hasn't started yet, now is the time to dive in. We put together a full breakdown covering key updates for 2026-27, what carried over, and the top pitfalls families make every fall.

Read our guide before starting:
👉 https://swamistakeoncollege.substack.com/p/filling-out-the-new-common-app-what

Seniors & parents: What step of the Common App is giving you the most headache right now?

New Common App year, new walkthrough. What's new for 2026-27, what carries over, and the mistakes families make every fall. Full replay plus transcript.

09/01/2026

Colleges keep changing their admissions policies—from shifting test requirements to moving deadlines. A recent NYT article tracked just how unpredictable it's becoming.

While colleges talk about simplifying the process, in practice it creates moving targets for high school families.

Our advice: Build a rock-solid application foundation and focus on what you can control.

👉 Read the full analysis: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/us/college-admissions-changes.html

Parents: How is your family handling all the shifting college requirement news this year?

08/31/2026

School starts soon. Before you move on from AP scores: juniors, know what your target schools expect; seniors, look up credit policies — a strong score might let you skip an intro course. And then put them behind you and focus on the fall. Schedule your free consultation at https://www.lifelaunchr.com.

08/30/2026

The most useful thing I tell families at the start of the process has nothing to do with applications or essays.

It's this: it will be harder than you expect, and some of it won't go the way you planned. That's not a sign something went wrong. That's the process.

The families who handle it best are the ones who started with clarity about what they actually wanted. Building that clarity is the work. Schedule your free consultation at https://www.lifelaunchr.com.

08/29/2026

A piece of advice I give every junior starting their college essays:

The essay isn't about what happened. It's about who you are because of it. The event is just the frame. What admissions readers are looking for is the reflection inside it.

When you sit down to draft, start with this question: what do I know about myself now that I didn't know before? Schedule your free consultation at https://www.lifelaunchr.com.

08/28/2026

The recording of our Soar introduction webinar — "The College Counselor's Edge" — is now available. If you're a counselor or IEC curious about what Soar does and how it works, this is the best place to start. Watch it here: https://www.withsoar.ai/webinars/introducing-soar-the-college-counselor-edge

08/27/2026

A balanced college list sounds obvious. But most families don't know how to actually build one. Watch this video for a practical breakdown of what target, likely, and reach mean — and how to apply those categories to your student's specific situation. Schedule your free consultation at https://www.lifelaunchr.com.

08/26/2026

For counselors and IECs reading this: Soar is designed to work through you, not around you. Students and families access it when you invite them.

I wrote about the reasoning on Substack — why I built it this way and what I think AI should and shouldn't do in college planning.

Read the full post at https://open.substack.com/pub/swamistakeoncollege/p/why-i-build-soar

08/25/2026

A Common Sense Media study from June found that 90% of tweens and teens use AI, with 25% using it every day. In my work with students, that tracks completely.

The question isn't whether students are using AI. It's whether the adults around them are teaching them to use it well. That's an obligation — not optional. Schedule your free consultation at https://www.lifelaunchr.com.

08/24/2026

"Does applying for financial aid affect my student's chances of getting in?"

It's a question I hear constantly. The answer depends on the school — and this video breaks down exactly how to think about it. Schedule your free consultation at https://www.lifelaunchr.com.